Leadership Giving Associate

University of Miami; United States; On-site; USD 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Miami invites applications for a full-time Leadership Giving Associate in Coral Gables, FL. The role focuses on cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding alumni, parents, and partners to support leadership gifts ranging from $1,000 to $99,999.

You will manage a prospect portfolio, use moves management, and collaborate with faculty and administrators to translate priorities into compelling donor opportunities, while tracking performance in IBIS.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required; 1 year of relevant work experience; 4 years preferred.
• Ability to build and manage a donor portfolio, developing strategies and progressing donors through the giving pipeline.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills with alumni, attorneys, and high-capacity donors.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of leadership giving prospects with tailored cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
• Utilise moves management to advance prospects through the giving pipeline toward higher levels of engagement and support.
• Conduct outreach—virtual, in-person, and events—to engage alumni, parents, law firms, and partners.
• Identify and develop new prospects to grow leadership giving capacity and portfolio.
• Collaborate with colleagues to design targeted fundraising campaigns and donor communications.

Skills

Donor relations

Fundraising strategy

Portfolio management

Communication

Verbal & written communication

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

IBIS CRM

Dashboards

Data analysis

Job description

The University of Miami, Division of Development and Alumni Relations has an exciting opportunity for a full time Leadership Giving Associate to work in Coral Gables, FL. The Leadership Giving Associate reports to the Executive Director of Development for the School of Law and indirectly to the Associate Vice President for Unit Development with the task of advancing a comprehensive, donor-centered leadership giving program. This individual is responsible for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding alumni, parents, law firms, and friends giving between $1,000 and $99,999, with a strong emphasis on pipeline development for major and principal gifts. The role partners closely with faculty, program leaders, directors, and administrators to align philanthropic opportunities with the School of Law’s priorities—including direct support of the clinics, programs, centers, scholarships, and experiential learning programs—and translates those priorities into compelling donor engagement strategies.

Department Specific Functions

• Manage a portfolio of leadership giving prospects, developing and executing individualized strategies to cultivate, solicit, and steward donors.
• Utilise structured moves management to advance prospects through the giving pipeline toward increased levels of engagement and support.
• Conduct meaningful outreach—virtual, in-person, and event-based—to engage alumni, parents, industry leaders, and key decision makers, including but not limited to attorneys, judges, and law firm partners.
• Pipeline Development: Identify, qualify, and develop new leadership giving prospects with capacity to transition into major and principal gift portfolios.
• Partner with development colleagues to ensure seamless movement of prospects across giving levels.
• Strategic Fundraising Execution: Design and implement targeted, multi-channel fundraising campaigns and initiatives to drive leadership giving participation and revenue.
• Collaborate with School of Law Marketing and Communications team to develop compelling donor-facing materials, including appeals, proposals, and stewardship communications.
• Contribute to the development of annual fundraising plans, revenue projections, and performance benchmarks.
• Partnership with Academic Leadership: Partner with faculty, clinic/program/center directors, and academic leadership to identify funding priorities and develop donor-ready philanthropic opportunities.
• Translate complex academic initiatives into clear, compelling cases for support.
• Data, Reporting, and Performance Management: Monitor, evaluate, and report on fundraising performance against established revenue and activity metrics.
• Utilise CRM systems, dashboards, and analytics to inform strategy and track prospect engagement.
• Maintain accurate and timely records of all donor interactions and activities in IBIS.
• Collaboration and Institutional Alignment: Work closely with central advancement and school-based colleagues to ensure alignment with institutional priorities.
• Provide strategic input on leadership giving initiatives and donor engagement strategies.
• Stay current on best practices and emerging trends in leadership giving and legal education fundraising.
• Compliance and Professional Standards: Ensure adherence to University policies, ethical standards, and fundraising best practices.
• Contribute to a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• This list of duties and responsibilities is not intended to be all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties or responsibilities as necessary.

Core Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field is required. Minimum 1 year of relevant work experience; minimum 4 years of relevant experience preferred. Working knowledge of the legal profession, including law firm structures, practice areas, and trends in law alumni engagement. Ability to build and manage a donor portfolio, including identifying prospects, developing strategies, and progressing donors through the giving pipeline. Strong interpersonal and relationship building skills, with the ability to effectively engage attorneys, alumni, and high-capacity donors. Demonstrated ability to collaborate with faculty and academic leaders to translate institutional priorities into compelling philanthropic opportunities. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to craft donor‑centric proposals, appeals, and stewardship materials. Analytical and data‑driven mindset, with experience using dashboards and CRM systems to track performance and inform strategy. Results‑oriented with the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet activity metrics, and achieve revenue goals. Success in this role is defined by achievement of annual fundraising goals, portfolio activity metrics, and measurable growth in the leadership giving pipeline. Any relevant education, certifications and/or work experience may be considered.

Success in this role is defined by achievement of annual fundraising goals, portfolio activity metrics, and measurable growth in the leadership giving pipeline.

The University of Miami is recognized as one of the nation’s premier research institutions and academic health systems and is among the largest employers in South Florida. With more than 20,000 faculty and staff, the University is committed to excellence and guided by a mission to positively impact the lives of students, patients, and communities locally and globally. We are dedicated to fostering a culture where every individual feels valued and empowered to contribute meaningfully. United by shared values, the University community works together to build an environment defined by purpose, collaboration, and service.

The University of Miami is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants and employees are protected from discrimination based on certain categories protected by Federal law.

Job Status: Full time. Employee Type: Staff

The mission of the University of Miami is to transform lives through education, research, innovation, and service. A vibrant and diverse academic and healthcare community, the University of Miami and the University of Miami Health System (UHealth) have rapidly progressed to become one of the nation’s top research universities and academic medical centers in the nation. The University comprises 12 schools and colleges serving undergraduate and graduate students in more than 350 majors and programs. Visit welcome.miami.edu/about-um to learn more about our points of pride.

The University ranks No. 55 on U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 Best Colleges list and ranked No. 49 in the 2022 Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings. Bascom Palmer Eye Institute is ranked the #1 eye hospital in the USA and offers some of the nation's premiere eye doctors to treat every eye condition for adults. Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer, part of the Miller School of Medicine, received the prestigious National Cancer Institute designation in 2019. The University of Miami and UHealth have also ranked among the Forbes Best Employers and Best Employers for Women on several occasions, most recently in 2022. With more than 17,000 faculty and staff, the University strives for excellence, and is driven by a powerful mission to transform and impact the lives of its students, patients, members of the community, and people across the globe.

The University of Miami is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants and employees are protected from discrimination based on certain categories protected by Federal law.